Sliver coiler



R. D. CARMICHAEL ET AL 2,816,328

SLIVER COILER Filed Oct. 10, 1955 Dec. 17, 1957 4 WI IEI H ""fif) I5 l7 INVENTORS ROBERT D. CARMICHAEL CHARLES w. WALTER ATTORNEY United States SLIVER COILER Application October 10, 1955, Serial No. 539,625

3 Claims. (Cl. 19-159) This invention relates to sliver coilers and more particularly to coilers using large cans provided with rollers or the like to facilitate bodily movement of the cans and their contents from one position to another.

It is customary to move sliver cans from place to place as a routine procedure in textile mills. Frequently the cans are moved manually by an operator who simply slides the cans along the floor in groups of five or six cans. The trend toward cans of larger and larger diameters results in substantial increases in the weight of the cans particularly when filled with sliver. Thus with heavier cans to handle, it is becoming more and more difficult for an operator to move the cans about especially where a particular operation requires him to slide a group of several cans along the floor. In some instances it has been necessary for the operator to reduce the number of cans moved simultaneously in a group and by so doing partially to defeat the purpose of using larger cans.

The principal object of this invention is to provide coiler cans with low friction means whereby an operator can slide several large coiler cans along the floor of the mill with comparative ease.

Another object of this invention is to render low friction means applied to coiler cans ineffective to interfere with the normal functioning of the can when positioned on a coiler base or platform.

The invention in one form comprises a plurality of rollers aflixed to the bottom of a sliver can for facilitating bodily movement of the can from one position to another and recessed means formed in or upon the rotatable base or platform of a coiler for receiving the can rollers thereby to render the rollers ineffective to aid in causing substantial relative movement between the can and the rotatable platform.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view of a conventional sliver coiler with its can mounted in its normal service position; Figure 2 is a view of the bottom of a sliver can to which low friction means has been applied in accordance with a feature of the invention; Figure 3a is a plan view of a rotatable platform of a coiler as modified in accordance with a feature of the invention; Figure 3b is a view similar to Figure 3a but representing a modification of the invention; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view in section of a portion of a sliver can and of a portion of a rotatable coiler platform showing essential features of this invention.

With reference to Figure 1 the numerals 1 and 2 designate fixed elements of the base of a coiler to which a pedestal 3 is affixed by any suitable means. Mounted atop the pedestal 3 is a coiler head generally designated by the numeral 4. The numeral 5 designates a movable portion of the base of the coiler which is rotatable about a vertical axis and which constitutes a movable platform on which the coiler can 6 is mounted. As is well known in the art, the pedestal 3 incorporates movable mechaatent 2,816,328 Patented Dec. 17, 1957 nism which imparts driving force to the elements mounted within the coiler head 4 and also imparts rotary movement to the rotatable platform 5 so that the coiler can 6 is rotated about a vertical axis and a sliver fed through the top of the coiler head 4 and out of the bottom thereof is deposited into the can in a desired predetermined coiled pattern. As can be seen from Figure 4 gear tooth 7 is mounted on a rim 8 on the under side of the rotatable platform 5. It is by means of a plurality of teeth such as 7 that rotary motion is imparted to the rotatable platform 5 by a pinion designated by the numeral 9 in Figure 1.

It is the practice in textile mills to remove a sliver can such as is designated by the numeral 6 when such can has become filled and thereafter to slide the can, together with several other similar cans along the mill floor to another position where the sliver is removed from the can and put through some subsequent procedure. Since the present trend is toward cans of larger and larger diameters, it is proposed according to this invention to affix low friction means to the bottom of the sliver cans so as to enable an operator more easily to slide the cans along the floor. To this end and as indicated in Figure 2 a plate 10 may be mounted by means of a bolt 11 and its associated nut 12 to the bottom surface 13 of a coiler can such as 6. To the base 16 a plurality of rollers or casters 14 are affixed. As can best be seen from the enlarged Figure 4 casters 14 may comprise a cylindrical body portion 15 a tapered base portion 16 and a protruding rotatable ball 17. Preferably the ball 17 is retatable on a plurality of ball bearings not shown but which are disposed within the cylindrical portion 15 of the rollers 14. While a specific type of castor is shown in the drawings it will be understood that other types of low friction means could be used.

In order to render the rollers 14 ineffective to aid in imparting relative motion to the can 6 and the base 5, a circular recess 18 may be formed in the rotatable platform 5 as indicated in Figure 3a. Thus with the sliver can 6 mounted in position the lower rim portion 6a thereof takes the weight of the can and the rollers 17 are received within the circular groove 18 so that the frictional relationship between the rim portion 6a and the edge of the rotatable platform 5 causes the can 6 to rotate in unison with the rotatable platform 5.

According to a modification of the invention the rotatable platform of the coiler is constructed with a plurality of recesses such as are indicated at 19 in Figure 3b for receiving the castors individually. It is obvious from Figure 3b that the recesses formed in the rotatable base platform 5 would aid in preventing rotation of can 6 about its own axis although such recesses would require a higher degree of care of the operator when mounting the can in position on the platform 5 since the rollers 14 would have to be arranged to coincide with the recesses 19 so that a certain amount of adjustment of can 6 about its vertical axis might be necessary.

The operator cannot observe the rollers 14 because they are mounted on the bottom of the can and hidden from view by the rim portion 6a. Thus according to a feature of the invention the rollers are mounted symmetrically on the can bottom and the recess means (either the rim 18 or the recesses 19 or some other recess means) is symmetrical with respect to the platform 5 to facilitate mounting the can on the platform in its service position.

Furthermore it will be understood that instead of recessing the base platform 5 as described to receive the casters, the recess means could be formed by adding an upraised portion to platform 5 which would receive the rim 6a of the can and thereby hold the castors out of en agement with the base 5.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A sliver coiler comprising a rotatable circular platform, a slivercan having a downwardly extending peripheral rim portion at the bottom and adapted for removable mounting on said platform and movable bodily from one position to another when dismounted from said platform, a plurality of rollers symmetrically atfixed to the bottom of said can for facilitating movement of said can from one position to another, and recess means symmetrically formed in said platform for receiving said rollers thereby to cause the weight of said can to be taken by said rim portion and to prevent said rollers from facilitating relative movement between said can and said platform when said can is mounted thereon.

2. A sliver coiler comprising a rotatable circular platform, a sliver can having a downwardly extending peripheral rim portion at the bottom and adapted for removable mounting on said platform and movable bodily from one position to another when dismounted from said platform, a plurality of symmetrically arranged rollers affixed to the bottom of said can for facilitating movement of said can from one position to another, and a circular recess symmetrically formed in said platform for receiving said rollers thereby to cause the weight of said can to 4 be taken by said rim portion and to prevent said rollers from facilitating relative movement between said can and said platform when said can is mounted thereon.

3. A sliver coiler comprising a rotatable circular platform, a sliver can having a downwardly extending peripheral rim portion at the bottom and adapted for removable mounting on said platform and movable bodily from one position to another when dismounted from said platform, a plurality of symmetrically arranged rollers affixed to the bottom of said can for facilitating movement of said can from one position to another, and a plurality of recesses corresponding to said plurality of rollers and formed symmetrically in said platform for receiving said rollers thereby to cause the weight of said can to be taken by said rim portion and to prevent said rollers from facilitating relative movement between said can and said platform when said can is mounted thereon and for effectively holding said container in position on said platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,033,119 Bennett Mar. 10, 1936 2,304,418 McMurry Dec. 8, 1942 2,715,971 Cox Aug. 23, 1955 2,736,602 Ault Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 325,660 Great Britain Feb. 27, 1930 

